Letter-box.



No. 652,9l6. Patented my 3, |900. J. A. KLINE.

LETTER BOX.-

(Applicatiqn filed Aug. 11, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

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J. A. KLINE.

LETTER Box.

(Application led Aug. 11, 1899.)

(No Modell) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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JOHN A. KLINE, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

LETTER-Box.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 652,916, dated J'uly-3, 1900.

Application led August 11 1899. Serial No. 72.6 ,882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- y,

Be it known -that I, JOHN A. KLINE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Reading, in the county of Berks and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements inLetter- Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention 'relates particularly to street letter-boxes of' that classin which a rotary receiving-chute is employed; and lny object is toprovide in a box of the simplest possible construction and operationeffective protection against tampering with the mails and also againsttheir injury by rain or the like.

To this end my invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction, which are fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings and are specifically pointed out in the claim.

Figure l is a cross-sectional view of a preferred form of 'letter-boxembodying my invention, the rotary chute being shown lifted to receivemail. Fig. 2 is a half-front elevation of the same, showingthe'receiving-chute in normal lowered position; and Fig. 3 is a similarView showing the chute turned upward, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fullside view showin g the receiving-chute in its normal lowered position,as in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a front View of the upper portion of thebox-body with the rotary chute entirely removed.

The lower portion of the body A of the box, as shown, is of the usualrectangular form, with a side outlet at D for removing the mail. The topportion, as indicated most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, is provided with axed circular roof A', covering, approximately, the rear half of the boxand extending at each side beyond thesidc walls a2 of the latter, so asto form a closed Way @which serves as a fixed cover for the overhangingledge of the mov- This opening or uriroofed portion of the body must ofcourse be effectively closed in the completed box, and

the receiving-chute C, already referred to, isv

so designed as to form, in connection with the fixed roof A and its sideextensions a, a movable but perfectly rain-proof extension of said xedroof, While at the same time furnishing a convenient receiver for themail, an automatic delivery of the same into the body of the box, and aneective protection against its unauthorized removal. This chute, asshown, is mounted within the upper portion of the box-bod y, uponcentral side pivots or trunnons c, upon which it turns in a Well-knownmanner, so as to bring the diametrically-located receiving-chamber ceither into position to receive the mail from the hands of the operator,as indicated in Figs. l and 3, orto deposit it in the lower portion ofthe box-body when it turns to its normal position, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 4. When in the latter position, its open end hasjust passed the serrated edge of the concentrically-arranged ledge BWithin the box-body, which serves, as in similar constructionsheretofore used, as an effective protection against tampering With thecontents of the box. The chute is formed with a cylindrical Wall c2,which is arranged, as shown, to close the rear end of thereceiving-chamber c, while leaving the front open and also to form amovable roof over the open portion of the box. In order to adapt it tothis latter use, I extend the cylindrical Wall c2 of the chutelaterally, so as to form side ledges c5, overhanging the curved topedges a5 of the body sides a2, said ledges when the chute is lifted toinsert mail moving into the closed Ways a, formed in the side extensionsof the fixed roof A'. The handle-rib c3, projecting radially from thecylindrical Wall c2, overhangs thetop edge a4 of the fiont of theboxbody and is so located as to permit of sufficient rotary movement ofthe chute C to carry the open end' of the receiving-chamber from itsnormal position below the serrated interior ledge B to a position abovethe top edge a4 of the box-front without striking the front a3 of thefixed roof, and a second radial rib c4 on the rear portion of saidcylindrical wall is so located as to be swung nearly to the front a3 ofthe fixed roof A when the chute is in normal lowered position, and thusserves IOO to more eifectively exclude rain, &c., as will be clearlyunderstood by reference to Fig. 4C.

In myimproved construction it will be n0- ticed that I employ a bodyhaving substantially a half-open top in connection with a rotaryreceiving-chute which is not only adapted to fill all the requirementsof receiving, depositing, and protecting mail in the most satisfactoryand simple manner, but which also serves to satisfactorily close saidhalf-open top without any separate provision for this purpose, therebyproviding, asI believe, a box of the simplest, neatest, and cheapestconstruction possible in connection with the essential requirements.

A rain and dust proof mail-box ofthe class described :having a bodyformed with an open front at its upper end and a fixed circular rool:`which covers approximately the rear half of the box-topg'said body alsohaving side Walls which extend above the bottom of its open portion andhave curved top edges, and said roof being arranged above the tops oisaid curved edges and extending concentrically therewith and alsoextending laterally, so that the inner surfaces of its sides will bebeyond the planes of the inner surfaces of said curved top edges, toform closed Ways in the sides of the rear portion of the curved top ofthe box; said Ways having mouths at the front and being bounded at thetop and side by the top and side, respectively, of the roof, and belowby the curved top edges of the sides of the body; said roof also havinga front edge a3; and a rotary receiving-chute, having a diametricalreceiving-chamber and a cylindrical Wall, said cylindrical Wall servingnormally to close the open front of the box and having lateralextensions which overhang the curved top edges of the body sides andtravel in said ways and radial ribs projecting from said eylindricalWall and arranged on opposite sides of said front edge a3 for thepurposes specified.

Signed by me at Reading, Pennsylvania, 45

this 10th day of August, 1899.

JOHN A. KLINE. Witnesses:

Woon M. SCHWARTZ,-J1. W. G. STEWART.

